Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-01-28
A Bear Story about Augusta County.
BY ASA.
from the N. Y. American Field.

We live here right On the border Of the
great Allegheny Range of mountains,
which, with It's outlying ridges and spurs,
one hundred miles west of US. All of this
region is full of the game that belongs to
mountain-deer in plenty, some bear
/ and few wolves and wildcats, make uT
the larger sorts; wild turkeys, pheasants,
hares, squirrels, 'eoons, 'possums, and
ground-hog represent the smaller. The
sportsmen of this vicinity make frequent
raids, in the Fall of the year. into this
happy hunting ground, principally for
| the purpose Of driving deer with dogs, yet
amusing themselves in the intervals be-
tween the drives by gentle, little hunts
after the pheasan is, the turkeys and an
occasional covey of patridges. Upon one
OF these raids it was the good fortune of
your correspondent to go, la few weeks
ago, and it is proposed to give the readers
Of the American Field'' the benefit of a
little Of the experiencesof his party. He
! is too modest to speak Of his own share in
the sport (which consisted In walking six
miles up d mountain path, STANDING fs.1f
mortal hours on cold ridge in a stiff
breeze and then walking back to the
tavern).
| This particular hunt came off at place
known as John Sitlington's, situated on
| the banks Of the Little Calf Pasture River
very near to the village of Deerfield, and
| tyun fu for 10
Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. The house,
although still the property of Mr.. Sitting
ton, is kept by a Mr., Van Lear, and we'll
| kept at that. Good beds, large, airy rooms
| almost too airy we thought them with the
December gales whistling around and find
ing every cracks and Granny, splendid log
( fires, and plenty to eat, a cordial welcome
and moderate charges-what more could
one ask? This little paradise for the
sportsman is reached from Staunton by
means of wagons, of which it took four to
carry out our party and their inapeGinaenta.
Ten miles Of brisk driving over good road
brought US to the house of Rhoades, the
man who keeps the hounds, who knows all
| the mountain lairs of the deer and who
directs the driving Ten miles further
| found US across the second ridge and un-
| loaded at Sitlingtons $. Then hot supper,
pipes, talk, laughter and bed, for on this
hunt one must. perforce. be early to bed if
he wants to get any sleep at all. Three
O'Clock next morning found the whole
house astir; five O'Clock saw the end of
hoe nokn H., !
In the eastern sky, the long train of hun
! tiers and dogs was far on its way to the
foot of the next ridge. Here the drivers
left US, taking the dogs with them, and
we toiled on up the steep mountain trail
| in the wake of the master of the hunt who
was to put each of us upon the stand and
which had been assigned by lot the night
before. This consumed nearly another
hour so that it was half after seven and
the sun was shining brightly by the time
the last ISLANDER was put on his post.
Then came the lonely. weary waiting
Then is the time that mans conscience
gets an awful rake at him, for no matter
how good we may be the best of us have,
at some time or other, done something
that we are little sorry for or little
ashamed of. May be we have stolen corn
or pigs during tue war;" or dsobliged
our father in our early youth; or we may
| have drunk currant wine or had note in
imminent danger of protest; or we might
have voted the wrong ticket in the late
| election; OF we might have failed to call
pair with full hand at the close of
large and exciting jackpot; or a thousand
other things. But, anyhow, if any of
these sins of omission or commissicn hap.
pen to be sticking around anywhere in the
dark corners of your conscience, half
asleep aud wholly forgotten, rest assured
| it will come forward and call for a hear
, ing in trumpet tones the very first time
you ever find yourself on deer stand of a
cold morning waiting for buck that,
somehow, looks as if he won't come. Or,
| if you have not got conscience the fear
of bears will come upon you as it did upon
one of our ISLANDERS on this very hunt
| Hear his tale as he told it himself after
supper and two tumbIers of apple jack
that same night.
| "You see, / was never on a deer hunt
before and am not much of a sportsman
anyhow, and when I was rousted out of y
good warm bed at three O'Clock of "
| ter Is morning and carried up mo-
as high as Ganiesaukee. on 81
Morse that looked every nj
IS going to make miss1
=